Coconut-shell-cracking machine



H. C. JONES. l vcoco/mur SHELL cRAcKmG MACHINE.

APPLlcAnoN FILED mm. 19; |919. L402,234 A Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

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Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

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v f., \w EN A J, W (0 J WNV w COC 0ANUT SHELL CBCKING MACHINE.

'APPLICATION FILED MAR, IQ, |919- entran sraras area carica.

HERBERT C. JONES, OF TOTTENVILLE, NEW YORK, ASSIG-NOR TO THE FRANKLIN BAKER COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A. CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 3, 1922..

Application filed March 19, 1919. Serial No. 283,484.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HERBERT C. JONES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tottenville, Staten Island, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coconut-Shell-Cracking Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will -enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. A

This invention rela-tes to a nut cracking and shelling machine and has particular reference to a machine of this character applicable for crackin@ and removing the shell of a coconut and the kernel or meaty portion thereof. Y

As ynow practiced, the shells of coconuts are cracked and removed from the meat by hand, buty the hand operation does not leave the kernel free of all breaks or cuts. A break or cut in the surface of the meat after the shell is removed has a detrimental effect.

in the further operation of Skinning which follows the removal of the shell.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus which will remove the shell from the meaty portion of the coconut and reduce to a minimum the possibility of a break or crack in the meaty portion.

A further object is to provide an apparatus which will accomplish the object mentioned and be automatic in operation.

The above objects, as well as others which will be hereinafter disclosed, are accomplished by means of the apparatus shown in the accompanyin drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the machine with thelhammers in cracking position.

Figure 2 shows an enlarged view of the- Figure 7 is a perspective view of a part of a cracking blade, and

Figure 8 shows another detailed arrangement.

In the drawings, the numeral 11 indicates two, or as many more as are necessary, supporting standards for the machine. 12 indicates a driven pulley on a shaft 13 having suitable gearin 15 to cause a similar shaft 14 to rotate in a dlrection opposite to 13. Shafts 13 and 14 are each provided with sprockets 16 and 17 driving chains 18 and 19 taking around sprockets 20 and 21 keyed to shafts 22 and 23, all respectively. Shaft 22 is supported in any desired number of standards 11 and carries at its outer end an inclined cam 24 co-acting with a grooved arm or inger 25 carried by the standard 11. The other or inner end ofthe shaft 22 is provided with a cup-like member 26 provided with spring arms 27 having inturned ends 28 equipped with up-saw teeth 29, for engaging and scoring the end of the nut to be cracked.

Surrounding the shaft 22 is a grooved collar 30, a conical faced anvil 31 and a nipple 32 connecting the collar and anvil adjustably in that it has right andl lefthand threads therein co-acting with similarly handed threads on the collar and anvil. The collar and anvil are slidable longitudinally upon the shaft 22 but the key 33 prevents their rotation thereon. 34 indicates a ring (through which the shaft 22 may slidevlongitudinally) which pivotally suppor-tsa plurality of curved hammer-like elements eachhaving a heel part 35 provided with a toe or lug 36.

AThe heel parts 35 are connected to the a'nvilmember. 31:by means of links 37 piv oted in slots 38`inthe anvil. The hammers are slotted at 39 at their free ends to receive rocking curved blades 40 pivoted at 41 in the hammers. The blades are provided with T-shaped recesses on their top vnear their ends adapted to receive headed bolts 43' .character of the nut to be cracked.

The collar 30 has co-acting with its oove a yoked lever 45 to slide the collar; an anvil conut but because the fingers 27 of the cup because their teeth along the shaft 20. The lever is pivoted at 46 in a support 47 and has an offset arm 48 adapted to be moved upwardly by a cam 49 on shaft 13 having removable base 5 0, (Figure 6) and to be returned to downward position by a spring 51.

Parts numbered 24 to 51 find their counterparts in parts numbered 24' to 51', they being on the other side of the machine and oppositely directed to these just described. 52 represents a coconut in place to be cracked. Nuts may be fed to the machine by any desired conveyor from the box where they are steamed.

The operation of the device is as follows Assuming that the hammer elements on both sides of the machine are open as shown in dotted lines at the left of Figures 1 and 2, and the cup elements 26 are retracted as shown in dotted lines at the right of Figure l, a steam coconut is fed from the steam box to the cracking machine' by any suitable conveyor until it reaches cracking position. Continued rotation of the driven shaft 14 rotates the cam 49 out of a position upholding the arm 48', so that the spring 51 acts thereon to slide forwardly the yoked lever 45', the collar 30' and the anvil 31', the movement of the latter forcing the hammer elements to strike the coconut a Shar blow due to the contact of its coned faces with the heel of the hammer elements. At the same time by means of the chain 19 and sprocket 21, the shaft 23 is rotated and the inclined cam 24 in rotating causes the shaft 23 to move inwardly whereby the cup element 26' engages the end of the coconut and as the shaft 23 and the cupped member 26' continue to rotate, the cutting teeth 29' on the, cup score the coconut. As soon as a blow is struck by the hammers, continued rotation of the shaft 14, by means of the cam 49 moves the arm 48 upwardly which, in turn, retracts the collar 30' and anvil 31 which by means of the links 37 acting upon the heel 35' of the hammers withdraw them t0 open position as shown in dotted lines.

Whereupon continued rotation of the shaftr -23 by means of the inclined cam 24 withdraws this shaft which in turn, withdraws the cup member 26' from the, end-of the co- 26' are spring fingers and 29' engage withthe score in the yend` of the coconut, when the cup 26 is retracted pulls with it one-half of the broken shell from the coconut. The operation described is equally true of and is simultaneously carried out by the corresponding elements on the other side of the machine.

The score of the ends of the coconut must be only suiicient to give the teeth a grip to pull the shell oilE the nut when the cup is retracted and must not cut through to injure lof the oscillating itv the meat. The curved blades 40 and 40' are made to rock in order to accommodate themselves to relatively large and small nuts which have different contours, some being more rounded than others. After the nut is shelled, it drops down to any suitable conveyor to take it to an adjacent machine for the next operation.

What I claim is:

1. A nut cracking machine having cuplike membersfor supporting the ends of the nut to be cracked, hammer elements extending on each side of the middle of the nut to be cracked and between said members, and means for causing said hammers to strike a blow directly upon the nut.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the hammer elements are provided with. blades adapted to contact with the nut when a blow is struck by the hammers.

3. The device of claim l in which the hammer elements are provided with curved blades to contact with the ,nut when a blow is struck by the hammers.

4. The device of claim 1 in which the hammer elements are provided with pivoted blades adapted to contact with the nut when a blow is struck by the hammers.

5. The'device of claim 1 in which the hammer elements are provided with curved rocking blades adapted to contact with and adapt themselves to the curvature of the nut when a blow is struck by the hammers.

6. The device of claim 1 in which the cuplike members have inturned teeth for gripping the nut.

7 The device of claim 1 in which the cuplike members are provided with cutting edges, and means for rotating one member in a direction different fromA the direction of the one member, whereb the cutting edges will scoreA the end s of t e nut- 8. The device of claim 1 in which the cuplike members are provided with spring arms, and cutting teeth on said arms.

9. A nut crackingmachine having means for supporting the ends of a nut, means for scoring the ends of a nut, oscillating hammer elements adapted to strike a blow upon the nut, means coacting with the free ends hammer elements to acvtuate same,-means coacting with the scoringv members to axially move same in opposite directionsv to embrace the nut, and means for imparting reciprocal movement to the coacting members.

10. A nut cracking machine having cuplike members'for supporting the ends of a nut, pivoted hammer elements for striking the nut a blow, automatic means for rotating the cup-like members in alternate directions to score the ends of the nut, automatic means for causing the hammer elements to strike the nut a blow and to retract the hamends of a nut, hammer elementsprovided with blades adapted to conform to and contact with the nut when a blow is struck by the hammers and means co-acting with theV free ends of the hammer elements for actuating the hammers to strike a blow upon the nut and then to be retracted from the nut.

13. The device of claim 12 in which the co-acting means are automatically operated.

.14. The device of claim 12 in which the co-acting means are reciprocal.

l5. The device of claim 12 in which the co-acting means comprise reciprocal conicalfaced collars, and links between the collars and free ends of the hammers.

16. The device of claim 12 with means for regulating the blow of the hammers.

17. A nut cracking machine having means for-supporting the ends ot a nut, spring arms, having cutting edges, upon the supporting means, hammer arms adapted to strike blows upon the shell of the nut to crack same, and means for releasing the nut after the cracking operation.

18. A nut cracking machine having axially and oppositely disposed m ans for supporting the ends of a nut, sprin arms, having cutting edges, upon the su porting means, means provided for opposite y rotating -the oppositely disposed supporting means, hammer arms adapted to strike blows upon the shell of the nut to crack same and means for releasing the nut after the cracking operation.

19. A nut cracking machine having spring arm holding members for supporting the ends of the nut to be cracked, pivoted hammer elements extending on each side of the middle of the nut to be cracked, and meansdor causing said hammers to strike a blow upon' the nut.

' 20. The deviceof claim 19 in which the hammer elements are provided with bladeshammer elements are provided with curved blades to lcontact with the nut when a blow is struck by .the hammers.

22. The device of claim 19 in which the hammer elements are provided with pivoted blades adapted to contactlwith the nut when a blow is struck by the hammers.

23. The device'of claim 19 in which the hammer elements are provided with curved rocking blades adapted to contact with and adapt themselves to the curvature of the nut when a blow is struck by the hammers.

24. The device of claim 19 in which the spring arm holding members have inturned teeth for gripping the nut.

25. The device of claim 19 in which the spring arm holding members are provided with cutting edges, and means for rotating one member in a direction different from the direction of the other member, whereby the cutting edges will score the ends of the nut.

26. The device of claim 19 in which the spring arm holding members are provided with spring actuated arms, and cutting teeth on sald arms.

27. A nut cracking machine havin means for-supporting the ends of a nut, ammer elements pivoted intermediate their ends, and means coacting with the free ends oi the hammer elements for causing the hammers to strike a blow directly upon the nut and then be retracted from the nut.

28. A nut cracking machine having means for supporting the ends of the nut to be cracked, a plurality of radially arranged members and means for actuating said members to cause a series of blows to be struck directl on the nut.

29. nut cracking machine having means for supporting they ends of the nut to be cracked, a pluralit hammer elements a out the nut and means for causing said hammer elements to impart a series of blowsdirectly upon the supported nut.

30. A nut cracking machine having means for gripping the end portions of the nut and means for causing a series of oppositely directed blows upon the exposed portions of the nut.

31. A method of shelling a nut which consists in grip ing the opposite end portions of the nut, irectly striking the shell with a series of blows to crack the same, and then pulling the cracked shell o' the nutl by the end grippers.

. In testimony whereof I ax my signature.

HERBERT C. JNES.

of radially arranged 

